Someone To Watch Over Me
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: A freak accident at the Indigo League Championship leaves Ash critically injured as his family and friends keep vigil at his hospital bedside.
1. The Accident

__

A freak accident.

That's what every channel on every television in the Indigo Plateau Hospital kept repeating over and over again. 

"Please turn it off, Brock. I can't take hearing that over and over again," Delia Ketchum said softly as she buried her head in her hands.

And as Brock, Misty, and Delia sat in the emergency room, one thought kept running through their minds:

__

This wasn't supposed to happen.

--- 

"Hey, Sam, wake up." 

Professor Oak was jarred awake by a nudge to his ribs. "Huh? Whazzat?" 

"The lecture's over. Want to go get some lunch before the afternoon sessions?" Professor Elm asked as he stood up.

Professor Oak shook his head to clear the cobwebs in it. Normally the topic of the evolution of Eevee would've been quite fascinating, but the lecturer had been so dry and monotonous that he had nodded off in the middle of the speaker's presentation. He quickly scanned the program and none of the afternoon's speakers sounded much better. He really didn't even want to be at this conference, but Professor Ivy had been in charge of coordinating speakers this year and had roped him into doing a presentation on his latest research on herd dominance in Tauros. Since he wasn't scheduled to speak until tomorrow morning, Professor Oak decided to skip the rest of the day's presentations and head back to his hotel room to watch the Indigo League championship match, which was where he really wanted to be. As he followed his young colleague out the door of the lecture hall, they noticed several people clustered around a television set.

"Oh my God…"

"I can't believe it…"

"How horrible…"

"What's going on?" Professor Oak asked as he approached the anxious group.

"Didn't you hear? There was an accident at the Indigo League championship," a stunned-looking woman informed him.

"They said one of the trainers was killed along with their Pokémon," another woman said with a trembling voice. "And the other one was critically injured."

"Hey, Sam," one of his colleagues from Saffron City addressed him. "I think they said one of the trainers was from your neck of the woods. Ketchikan, Catchit…"

"Ketch…Do you mean Ash Ketchum?" Professor Oak gasped as a thrill of horror shot through him.

"Yeah, that's it. Ketchum."

__

Oh my God, no! 

Professor Oak turned and ran out the lecture hall and across the street to his hotel. And there it was on the television set in the hotel lobby:

"Repeating our top story this afternoon, two competitors were getting ready to begin their fifth-round battle at the Indigo League championship when a wall collapsed atop them. One trainer was killed, the other seriously injured. We'll have more on this story tonight at six. I'm Leslie Birch."

Dashing up the stairs two at a time to his room, Professor Oak threw open the door and headed straight for the telephone. With trembling hands, he dialed Delia's number.

__

Ring…ring…ring… 

"Dammit! How stupid can you be, Sam?" he cursed as the answering machine picked up. "She would be at the hospital!" He quickly dialed the number of his own residence.

__

Please pick up, Tracey, he silently pleaded as the phone rang. Finally, a familiar voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Tracey?"

"Professor? Oh, thank God. I've been trying to call you all morning, but they said that you were at the conference," his relieved young assistant replied.

"Never mind that," he snapped. "What happened?"

"It was awful, Professor," Tracey said as his voice started to shake. "Brock, Misty, and Mrs. Ketchum were there. So was Gary."

Professor Oak's heart sank_. Oh no, it's true. Ash is…_

"That poor girl from Fuchsia City didn't have a chance. They said she and her Sandshrew were killed instantly."

"Girl? Fuchsia…? Tracey, are you telling me that Ash _isn't_ dead?"

"No, Professor," Tracey hastily reassured him. "Ash isn't dead."

A relieved Professor Oak sank down on the bed as the trembling in his hands started to subside. "Thank God." 

"But he's in really bad shape. Brock called a few minutes ago. They said he's still in surgery. He's got a lot of broken bones and internal injuries. They're still not sure he's going to make it," Tracey said as he choked back tears.

__

Oh, Ash. Oh, Delia.

"Delia…Mrs. Ketchum, how is she? Where is she? What hospital are they at?" Professor Oak asked rapidly as jumped up and began throwing his clothes into his suitcase.

"They're at the Indigo Plateau Hospital."

"Tell her that I'm catching the first flight home," he said as he flung his papers atop his clothes. 

"But what about the conference…?"

"To hell with the conference!" Professor Oak barked as he grabbed his toothbrush out of the bathroom. "Just tell Delia that I'll be there as soon as I can."

--- 

"How long do you think Ash'll be in there, Brock?" Misty asked as she cuddled the worried Pikachu that was sitting in her lap.

"I don't know, Misty. It depends upon how badly he's hurt," Brock replied as he took a sip of his cola. "Probably a while."

The two teens turned at the sound of someone clearing their throat and saw an anxious-looking Gary standing in the doorway of the waiting room.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Any word on Ash?"

Misty shook her head and continued petting Pikachu.

At the sound of Gary's voice, Delia looked up and managed a tiny smile in his direction. "Hello, Gary. Are you all right? What did the doctor say?"

Gary looked down at his bandaged left hand. "A few stitches, no big deal." 

Delia motioned for him to come over to her. When he did so, she reached up and took his uninjured hand in hers. 

"Gary, I want to thank you for everything you did. If you hadn't been standing there and helped get Ash out of the rubble as fast as you did…"

Gary shrugged his shoulders. "He would've done the same thing for me, Mrs. Ketchum."

Their conversation was abruptly ended when a gray-haired man in surgical scrubs came into the room and approached Delia.

"Mrs. Ketchum? I'm Doctor Claiborne. I just came from your son's surgery, and I'd like to talk to you about it."

"Is my son all right?" a trembling Delia asked as she continued to clutch Gary's hand.

"Is Ash okay?" Misty and Brock asked in unison.

"Are you Ash's brothers and sister?" Dr. Claiborne asked the three teenagers.

"No, we're Ash's friends," Brock corrected him.

"Well, I'd like to speak to Ash's mother first, if I may," the doctor said as he indicated for Delia to follow him.

"Doctor, you can tell me and Ash's friends everything. They're just as worried about him as I am."

Conceding defeat, the doctor pushed aside the stack of magazines on the nearby table and sat down. 

"Mrs. Ketchum, your son has been through a lot. At first we weren't certain that he would even survive the surgery, but Ash is definitely a fighter."

"Yep, that's our Ash," Brock said with a small grin.

"But he is still in critical condition. He has numerous injuries, including a concussion, several broken ribs, and a broken arm. He was lucky that none of those ribs managed to puncture a lung. We were fortunate enough to be able to stop the internal bleeding quickly."

"Can we see him?" Misty asked anxiously.

"He's still in recovery. He's unconscious and may be that way for quite a while. The next twenty-four hours are critical. I'll let you know as soon as you can see him."

"Thank you, Doctor Claiborne," Delia said as she wiped away a tear from her eye.

"Why don't you all get some rest, and I'll send someone out to let you know when Ash is out of recovery," the doctor said with a kind smile. "I'm going to go back now and check on him."

As soon as the doctor left, Delia leaned over and hugged Misty. "He's all right, thank God. He's alive."

Brock and Gary watched as tears started running down the faces of the two women. 

"You okay, Gary?" Brock asked in a voice that was choked with emotion.

"Yeah," Gary said hastily as he turned away from the group. "Just got something in my eye, that's all."

But it was too late. Brock had already noticed the tear.


	2. Watchful Waiting

"Ash, baby, can you hear me?" 

Delia sat down next to her son and gently took his hand, being careful not to dislodge the IV line nor the tangled mass of wires that were connected to the beeping, flashing monitors that were keeping a constant readout of Ash's vital signs.

"Mommy's here, sweetheart. And I'm going to stay right here until you wake up." Delia lifted her son's hand to her lips and gently kissed it.

Misty started sobbing and Brock took her into his arms. 

"There, Misty. It's all right," he said soothingly as he began stroking her back. 

Pikachu, who was curious at the sight of his friend lying amid a bunch of wires and tubes, hopped onto the bed and peered into Ash's face. "Pika?" He sniffed Ash's face and nudged him slightly. "Pika-pi?"

"It's no use, Pikachu," Brock told the worried Pokémon. "Ash can't hear you right now."

Gary quickly snatched up Pikachu as he saw sparks beginning to fly from the electric Pokémon's cheeks.

"Hey, watch it, Pikachu! I know you want to help, but shocking Ash right now wouldn't be a good idea."

Pikachu wiggled out of Gary's grasp and leapt back onto the bed. Curling himself up at Ash's feet, Pikachu closed his eyes, determined to remain by his friend's side.

"Excuse me, everyone," the nurse on duty interrupted as she entered the room. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask all of you to leave except for Mrs. Ketchum. Visiting hours are over."

"Oh, Brock, I don't want to leave Ash," Misty gulped as she fought back more tears.

"Me neither, but Ash needs to get some rest," Brock said as he gathered up his backpack. "We'll be back first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, and I've gotta get ready for tomorrow's sixth-round match," Gary said as he followed the two teens to the door.

"Come on, Pikachu," Misty said.

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon said, shaking its head in refusal.

"It's all right," Delia assured them. "Let Pikachu stay here. If the nurse says anything, I'll just hide him under the blanket."

"G'night, Mrs. Ketchum," Gary said with one last glance at Ash. "And don't worry. Ash is too stubborn to die."

--- 

Early the next morning, Professor Oak silently opened the door to the hospital room and saw an auburn-haired woman with very red eyes sitting in a chair, clutching her son's limp hand.

"Delia?" he said softly.

Startled, she looked up in amazement. "Samuel? What are you doing here? I thought you were at the conference at Valencia Island."

"I heard the news and came back as fast as I could," Professor Oak said as he entered the room and approached Ash's bedside. "How's he doing?" 

Delia managed a weak smile. "Holding his own."

Professor Oak studied the readout on the monitors. As a scientist, he was interested in data, numbers -- tangible evidence of Ash's condition. He then turned to the unconscious boy and gently touched his shoulder. "Ash? It's Professor Oak. Can you hear me?"

As he gazed at the boy's pale, still face, he was amazed that this was the same boy who just a week ago was jumping around the lab, bragging that he was "gonna kick Gary's butt". (He had even yelled at Ash for Cyndaquil's overzealous Flamethrower attack during a mock battle that had destroyed several of his rosebushes.) After scratching the head of the sleeping Pikachu (and observing that all of its front claws were broken from trying to dig Ash free from the rubble), Professor Oak sat down in the chair opposite Delia and regarded her with a concerned expression.

"And how are you doing, Delia?"

"All right," she said in a voice that clearly indicated that she wasn't. "It's Ash that we need to be worried about, not me."

"But I am worried about you." She looked worse than her son did. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

Delia shook her head. "No. I'm going to stay right here until my baby wakes up."

"Delia, you need to get some sleep. Have you eaten anything?"

Delia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't remember."

"Then that means that you probably haven't. Look, why don't you go back to your hotel and lie down for a while? I'll stay here with Ash."

"I am staying here until my son wakes up, Samuel," Delia told him firmly.

Seeing the determination in her eyes, he knew better than to argue with her. He knew exactly where Ash got his stubborn temperment from.

"All right. But at least eat something." He fished around in the pocket of his lab coat. "Here." He handed her a package of peanuts. "I didn't feel much like eating on the plane."

She took the foil packet from him and placed it on the table next to her. "Thanks."

"Do you want me to get you something to drink with those? A soda, perhaps? Some juice?"

"That's all right, Samuel. You don't have to bother," she insisted.

"Delia, someone needs to take care of you, too." He disappeared out the door and returned a minute later with a can of apple juice. "The vending machine was out of orange juice," he informed her as he handed her the can.

She put the can down next to the peanuts. "I'll eat later. I don't really feel like eating now." Delia stroked her son's arm for a moment and then looked up at her old friend with worried eyes. "Samuel, you've treated injured Pokémon. You have a better understanding of what the doctors are talking about than I do. What do you think about….about Ash?" She couldn't bring herself to say 'chances'.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm not a physician, Delia. Human physiology is quite different from Pokémon physiology." He didn't want to tell her that he had spoken to Ash's doctor before coming into the room, and the optimism he had had for Ash's recovery had faded rapidly as he listened to the litany of the boy's injuries. He also wasn't going to tell her that he had seen a similar injury in an Ivysaur that had been crushed in a rockslide. That Pokémon had died.

"Yes, but you're more familiar with the medical terminology and all this," she said as she nodded in the direction of the equipment that was monitoring Ash's vital signs. "Please be honest with me. Tell me what you think about Ash's…" She still couldn't bring herself to say 'chances'. "I have to know the truth, Samuel. And I know you won't lie to me."

He was trapped. Even though he knew that the odds of Ash's survival weren't in the boy's favor, he wasn't about to make Delia even more upset than she already was. 

"Delia," he spoke carefully, "I think Ash is in the best place he could be right now. This hospital has an excellent reputation for treating trauma cases." He leaned over and gently squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, Delia. Ash is young. He's strong. He's also quite stubborn, too."

Delia smiled slightly. "That's what your grandson said."

"Which reminds me," Samuel said as he stood up. "I have to get going. I'm going to drop by and wish Gary luck before I head back to the lab. I have a few things to attend to there, and Tracey wanted to stop by and see Ash." He bent down and gently kissed her cheek. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I want you to promise me that you'll eat something while I'm gone and try to get some rest."

Delia gave him a tiny smile and then turned her attention back to her injured son.

"I'll see you later, Delia."

---

"Ow! Dammit!" Gary winced as he cleaned the cut on his hand.

"Umbre?" the dark-type Pokémon asked worriedly as he watched his trainer yelp in pain.

"It's okay, Umbreon," Gary reassured his Pokémon. "It just stings for a moment. Good thing this isn't the hand I use to throw Poké balls with." He then heard a knock on the door of his cabin. "Wonder who that could be?" he asked Umbreon as left the bathroom and went to answer the door.

"Hello, Gary."

"Grandpa? What are you doing here?" Gary exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were at the conference at Valencia Island."

"I left as soon as I heard the news about Ash. I just wanted to stop by and wish you luck today in your sixth-round match."

Gary smiled grimly. "Thanks, but there's no need for that now."

"What do you mean?" a puzzled Professor Oak asked.

"This morning when they drew the match-ups for the sixth round, I drew the winner of Ash's match. And since neither trainer was able to compete, I won by forfeit."

"Oh. Wait a minute. Then that means that you're going to compete in the final championship round tomorrow!" 

"Yeah," Gary replied dully. "But not in the way I wanted to get there. Do you want to come in a for a moment Grandpa, seeing as that I've got the whole day to myself?"

"No, I've got to get back…Gary, what did you do to your hand?"

Gary quickly hid his left hand behind his back. "Nothing. It's just a little cut, that's all," he said evasively.

"It didn't look like a little cut to me, Gary. Let me have a look."

"No, that's okay, Grandpa. I'm fine. You don't have to treat me like one of the injured Pokémon at the lab."

"Gary, show me your hand."

"Grandpa, you don't have to worry about --"

"Gary, I'm your grandfather, and I am going to worry about you. Now show me your hand."

A defeated Gary slowly withdrew his hand from behind his back. 

"Five, six, seven, eight stitches!" a shocked Professor Oak exclaimed as he examined his grandson's injury. "What on earth happened, Gary?"

"I…I…yesterday at the stadium, I just got finished with my fifth-round match and was telling Ash that I was looking forward to kicking his butt in the sixth round, assuming that he even won his fifth-round battle."

Professor Oak smiled. Gary and Ash's rivalry had been ongoing for years.

"Anyway, I was watching Ash and then there was this loud rumbling sound. And then…" Gary's voice began to quaver. "One of the walls at the end of the battlefield collapsed. They think it was damaged when another trainer's Onix accidentally smashed into it earlier. The news said that there was a small earthquake and that made the wall fall." Gary closed his eyes, reliving the horrible scene. "I ran over to where they were, but Lena - the girl from Fuchsia City - you could tell she was dead just by looking at her." 

Professor Oak put a reassuring hand on his grandson's shoulder.

"I knew I couldn't help her, so I started looking for Ash. I heard his Pikachu crying – somehow it managed to jump out of the way before the wall collapsed – and then I saw it trying to dig Ash out. I saw him lying there under the rubble making these horrible choking sounds, like he was strangling or something, so I knew he was still alive." And to his dying day, Gary would never forget the sound of his childhood friend moaning in agony as he gasped desperately for breath under a ton of concrete. "I started digging, and then some of the other trainers on the field came over and started helping me move the rocks. One of them had a Machamp that they let loose, and it helped clear away the big pieces of concrete. I guess I must've cut my hand on a piece of metal or something. I didn't even know I did it until the paramedics came and got Ash free."

"Oh, Gary," Professor Oak said quietly as he hugged his grandson to him. "That must've been so horrible for you."

Gary nodded as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Yeah, but I'm okay now. Have you seen Ash yet?"

"I went by the hospital this morning."

"How's he doing?"

"His condition is stable. He's still unconscious, though."

"Grandpa, you don't think Ash is gonna…die, do you?"

"I don't know, Gary." 

"You know, all these years that Ash and I have been…I mean, we never really got along, but I didn't want anything like this to happen to him."

"I know you didn't, Gary." Professor Oak hugged his grandson again. "Actually, I'm very proud of you for what you did."

"Yeah, like it did any good if Ash dies," Gary said bitterly.

Professor Oak made his way to the door. "I've got to get back to Pallet Town and relieve Tracey at the lab. He wanted to come visit Ash today."

"Tell Tracey I said 'hi'," Gary said as he held open the door for his grandfather.

"I'll do that. And Gary, take care of that cut on your hand; you don't want it to get infected. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Gary watched his grandfather disappear down the path and then turned to the Umbreon that was nuzzling his leg comfortingly.

"C'mon, Umbreon. Let's go watch the other trainers compete in their sixth-round match. Might as well see who's going to be my opponent tomorrow."

--- 

"Mrs. Ketchum?"

"Hello, Tracey," a tired-looking Delia smiled in his direction as the boy opened the door to Ash's room.

"How's he doing?" Tracey asked as he approached Ash's bed.

"He's hanging in there," she replied as she touched her son's cheek. "Ash, sweetie, Tracey's here to see you."

Tracey gulped back the lump forming in his throat at the sight of his friend lying motionless among a sea of tubes and wires. Professor Oak had told him what to expect, but this was worse than he had anticipated.

"Hey, Ash," Tracey said awkwardly. "I was gonna bring you a get-well card, but I thought you might like this better." He took a drawing out of his sketchbook and handed it to Delia. "It's all of Ash's Pokémon. I figured he might like a reminder of why he needs to wake up."

Delia smiled at the sight of the drawing. "I think he'll like this very much, Tracey. Thank you." She held up the sketch in front of Ash's face. "Look, honey. Tracey did a drawing for you. All of your Pokémon are in it. Pikachu --" The little yellow Pokémon sleeping at the foot of the bed opened its eyes at the sound of its name. "— Noctowl, Bulbasaur, Cyndaquil…oh, look! Tracey even drew Muk."

Ash's eyes remained closed.

"Why don't I put that over here, Mrs. Ketchum?" Tracey offered as he took the sketch from her and put it on the table next to Ash's bed.

"Tracey!" Misty exclaimed as she pushed open the door to the room. Brock followed behind her. "I'm so glad to see you," she said as she gave her friend a hug.

"I thought you were going to see Gary's match," Delia asked the two teens.

"It was canceled," Brock replied. "Gary won by forfeit since no one won Ash's match from yesterday."

Delia leaned over and touched Ash's cheek again. "Ash, Misty and Brock are here."

Misty started choking up again at sight of the tender gesture. Brock put his arm around her shoulders.

"I…I'm sorry," she stammered as she sniffed back her tears. She cuddled Togepi to her and then slowly drew near Ash's bed. "Hi, Ash," Misty said softly as she touched his hand. "I brought you something." She reached into her backpack and pulled out Ash's baseball cap, dirty and somewhat crumpled. "They found it in the rubble. I thought you might want to have it back here with you." Misty placed it on the table next to Tracey's drawing.

Delia felt herself starting to choke up with emotion. _I can't fall apart in front of the kids, _she scolded herself as she tried desperately to swallow her tears. _I have to be strong for them._

"Yeah, and don't worry about your Pokémon, Ash," Brock told him. "I'm going to take care of them until you get out of here. By the way, Totodile told me to tell you that he likes my Poké Chow better than the stuff you normally feed him."

"Thank you, everyone," Delia said. "Ash is fortunate to have good friends like you."

"Are you okay, Mrs. Ketchum?" Misty asked.

"Oh, I'm fine, dear," Delia lied. Even though she felt like hell, the only thing that she cared about right now was her child.

"Hey, everyone," another young voice piped up.

Everyone turned to see a brown-haired boy standing at the door. The boy had a Pikachu on his shoulder, and could've easily been mistaken for Ash's twin.

"Richie!" Misty exclaimed.

"I…I just wanted to see how Ash was," Richie said tentatively. "Is it okay for me to come in?"

"Of course it is, dear," Delia said as she motioned for him to enter. Richie's Pikachu, Sparky, hopped off of his trainer's shoulder and jumped on the bed next to Ash's Pikachu.

"Sorry about your match today," Brock said as the two Pokémon started chattering. "I know you were looking forward to defending your championship title."

"Thanks, Brock," Richie said as he approached Ash's bed. "But I was too distracted. I was too worried about Ash to really pay attention to the match this morning."

"Well, there's always next year," said Tracey.

Richie smiled slightly. "That's right. And Gary's going to have his hands full at the final round matchup tomorrow. Melissa's a tough opponent."

Delia lightly touched her son's hand. "Look who's here, Ash. Richie stopped by to see you."

"Hi, Ash," Richie said as he bit his trembling lip. "I was really looking forward to a championship rematch this year, but I guess it'll have to wait 'til next year." (Richie had narrowly defeated Ash last year in the final round to claim the Indigo League title.) 

"Sorry, everyone," the nurse on duty said as she entered the room. "I need to examine Mr. Ketchum. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave now."

"We'll be back later," Brock said as he handed Delia a packet of Poké Chow. "Pikachu's probably hungry."

"Thank you, Brock," Delia said as she pocketed the Pokémon food. "I'll feed him later."

"Do you want anything, Mrs. K.?" asked Tracey.

"No thank you, Tracey."

"See you later," Misty said as she reluctantly left Ash's bedside. 

Richie motioned to Sparky and the Pokémon hopped back on his shoulder. "We'll see you later, Ash. Mrs. Ketchum."

"Man, Ash looks rough," Tracey said as the three friends headed down the hall to the elevator. "Do you think he's…he's gonna…"

Richie, Brock, and Misty's grim faces told him that they had been thinking the same thing.

--- 

Anticipating that Delia might be asleep, Samuel quietly opened the door to Ash's room and peered in.

"Ash, sweetie, do you remember that song I used to sing to you at bedtime when you were little?" Delia said softly as she stroked her son's bandaged forehead. "The one about the Ponyta? Remember?" She began to sing: "Hush, little baby, and don't you worry. Mommy's gonna buy you all the pretty little Ponyta…" Her voice trailed off as she started to cry. "Don't worry, baby. Mommy won't let anything bad happen to you."

On the other side of the door, Samuel felt himself starting to choke up at the sight of the mother singing to her unconscious child. As the hinges on the door creaked, Delia looked up and quickly wiped away her tears; she had to stay strong for Ash and his friends.

"Delia? Are you all right?" he asked as he stuck his head in the door.

"Oh, Samuel," Delia said as she sniffed back her tears and tried to pretend that she was all right. "I'm fine."

"Are you?" he asked as he crossed the room to Ash's bedside and sat down in the chair opposite hers. "Have you slept at all since yesterday?"

Delia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't remember."

Samuel then caught sight of the peanuts and apple juice sitting untouched on the table next to the bed. "I thought you promised me that you were going to eat something and get some sleep while I was gone."

"Samuel, I told you that I don't feel like eating," Delia said stubbornly. "Don't worry about me."

He felt anger rising within him. Delia had every right to be worried about her son, but he wasn't about to let her make herself sick in the process.

"Delia, you're not going to help Ash if you make yourself sick. And have you even been out of your chair since you've been here?"

Delia shrugged her shoulders again.

"That's it!" he exploded. "I'm not going to sit by and watch you fall over from exhaustion and hunger!" He stood up and grabbed her arm. "Now you're going to get out of this chair, have something to eat, then have a long nap." Delia opened her mouth to protest, but Samuel swiftly interrupted her. "And don't worry about Ash, because I'm going to stay here with him while you get some sleep."

Eyes blazing with fury, Delia pulled her arm away from his grasp. "I told you that I'm not leaving my son!"

"What the hell is it with you redheads that makes all of you so damn stubborn?" Samuel said furiously as he glared at her. The two stared each other down for a few seconds, then his tone softened. "Delia, I don't want to be so harsh with you, but I hate seeing you like this. Will you at least get out of your chair for a moment and at least go to the bathroom? Have you even done that since you've been here?" 

Delia shook her head. "If I did, I don't remember."

"Come on," he urged her. "At least stand up and stretch. You must be sore from sitting." He held out his hand to her. "Please?"

Delia took his hand and stiffly tried to stand up. The moment she straightened her shaking legs, they buckled. The last thing Delia remembered before her world spun away into blackness was a pair of strong hands grabbing her as she fell.

"Dammit, I was afraid this was going to happen," Samuel swore as he struggled to support the unconscious Delia's weight. He was able to tumble backwards on the empty bed next to Ash's and laid Delia's limp form atop it. After covering her with a blanket, he stabbed at the call button next to the bed. When no one responded fast enough for him, he jabbed the button again and again.

"Yes?" the irritated nurse on duty answered.

"I need some help in here. Mrs. Ketchum's fainted."


	3. Someone To Watch Over Me

The world still felt like it was spinning when Delia regained consciousness. She made a little moan of discomfort and a warm, strong hand grasped her cold, limp one.

"Delia?" said a familiar voice. "Can you hear me?"

Once she felt the room stop spinning, she slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus on the face hovering above her. 

"Samuel?" she murmured as glanced around the unfamiliar room. "Wh-where am I? What happened?"

"You fainted. You're at the hospital."

"Hospital?" A confused Delia looked around. When she heard the beeping of the monitors around Ash's bed, she then remembered. "Ash." She looked over at her son's bed and made an attempt to sit up.

"No, Delia," Samuel told her firmly as he gently pushed her shoulders back down on the pillow. "You're staying right here in bed. You'll pass out again if you try to get up."

"But I…"

"No. You're exhausted. You need to rest. And if you don't get some sleep, I will have the nurse sedate you. And if she won't do it, I will." He reached inside the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a small vial of sparkling pink powder. "Sleep Powder works just as well on humans as it does on Pokémon."

Delia's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't…"

"I will if I have to." He reached for the can of apple juice. "And you're going to eat something if I have to force it down your throat myself. Because if you don't, I'm going to have the nurse come back in here and put an IV in your arm. Hell, you're probably already dehydrated." He poured the juice into a small cup and handed it to her. Her hands were shaking so much as she took the cup from him that she spilled some of the juice onto the blanket. He took the cup back from her and held it to her lips. "Just a little bit at first, that's it. If you drink too much too fast, you'll get sick." After she had taken several sips of the juice, he put the glass down and picked up a small container of pudding. "Since I went to all the trouble to ask the nurse to bring you this, the least you can do it eat it."

She wrinkled her nose as she read the label. "Tapioca? I don't like…" She shut her mouth as he gave her a stern look. 

"You are going to eat this whether you like it or not. Now open your mouth." He shoved a spoonful of the pudding to her lips and she reluctantly took a bite. As the pudding slid down, Delia was suddenly aware of the incredible gnawing in her stomach. She snatched the pudding from him and started to devour it. "Delia, don't eat so fast," he warned. "You'll get…"

Too late. Delia gagged as she felt the pudding coming back up. Samuel quickly grabbed the waste can and held her as she retched. When she had finished vomiting what little food was in her stomach, she collapsed limply onto the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Delia," Samuel said as he picked her up into his arms. "I shouldn't have forced you to eat that. Forgive me." 

Delia started to cry. She was so tired, so sick, so exhausted, so afraid – she just couldn't handle it anymore. 

"There, Delia. That's it," Samuel said soothingly as she wept on his shoulder. "You need to cry." As she sobbed uncontrollably, he rocked her slowly and kissed her clammy forehead. As her weeping slowly subsided, she sighed and closed her eyes. With one final whimper, she sagged against his chest and her body grew limp.

"Delia?" He looked down and saw that her eyes were closed. At first he was afraid that she had passed out again, but a closer examination revealed that she was asleep – finally. He laid her back onto the pillow, pulled the blankets up around her chin, and kissed her cheek as he turned out the light over her bed.

--- 

Brock, Misty, Richie, and Gary, all dressed in black, slowly walked away from the stadium. Misty was still dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

"That was so sad," she said quietly as Brock put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick hug.

"I know," the older boy agreed. "But at the same time it was kind of beautiful." The four had just finished attending the memorial service for the young Pokémon trainer who had been killed two days earlier.

"League President Goodshow gave a pretty good speech, didn't he?" Richie said as the four teens passed by an outdoor café. "Especially the part about how life is like a journey."

"Why don't we get something to eat?" Brock asked the others.

Gary shook his head. "Nahh, I've got to get to bed early tonight. Umbreon and I are going to get up early tomorrow and work on our strategy for the final match tomorrow."

"Are you okay, Gary?" Misty asked. Gary had been unusually somber ever since Ash's accident – and even more so tonight.

Gary shrugged his shoulders. "I'm okay."

"Did you know Lena well?" Misty continued. Brock had mentioned to her earlier that Lena and Gary had known each other.

"She was two cabins down from mine. We talked a couple of times, but I didn't really know her all that well."

"Good luck against Melissa tomorrow, Gary," Richie said as Gary started back for his cabin.

"Hey, Melissa was the one who knocked you out of the fourth round in your first Indigo League match, wasn't she, Gary?" Misty said.

Gary stopped in his tracks. He didn't like being reminded of his humbling defeat two years earlier. 

"Yeah, she was, Misty," Gary bristled. "But she'd better watch out this year, 'cause I'm gonna kick her butt." 

"I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but it's kind of nice having the cocky Gary back again, if only for a moment," Brock said as he watched the younger boy head determinedly back to his cabin.

"Do you think he's worried about Ash?" Richie asked as the three headed back to the Pokémon Village. 

"Even though he won't admit it," Misty said with a tiny smile, "I think he is."

"But I though Ash and Gary hated each other," said a puzzled Richie. 

"They used to be good friends a long time ago," Brock said. "But when they became interested in becoming Pokémon trainers, Gary and Ash became so competitive that their friendship fell apart."

"So now they're rivals," Richie summarized.

"You know," Misty said slowly, "Even though they may be rivals, I think Gary and Ash actually respect each other. And the way they fight is just like how my sisters and I do. We're always trying to see who can outdo the other."

"You know, Misty, I think you're right," Brock smiled as the three stopped in front of Richie's cabin.

"Good night, guys," Richie called back as he headed up the path to his cabin. "See you at the match tomorrow."

"Guess we'd better get some sleep too, Misty," Brock said as the two continued down the path to their cabin.

"It's just so strange not having Ash around," Misty said wistfully as she and Brock went inside the cabin that they had been sharing with Ash until his accident. "Not hearing him snore in the bunk over mine, not hearing him shoot off his mouth about how he's the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world, not having to pick up his dirty socks, or listen to him complain about how there's not enough food in the refrigerator…"

"Or having him call you a hot-headed redhead," Brock teased.

Misty smiled for an instant and then felt herself starting to tear up again. "You know, Brock, I wouldn't mind Ash calling me that right about now."

"Poor Misty," Brock said soothingly as he took her in his arms. "This has been so hard for you. For all of us."

"I…I love him, Brock," Misty sobbed into Brock's chest. "Even if he does act like a pain in the butt most of the time, I love him."

"I know you do, Misty," Brock said as he stroked her hair. "I know you do."

--- 

Professor Oak sighed and turned off the television. He had just finished watching the memorial service for the young woman that had been killed at the same time Ash had been injured. As the television cameras panned across the packed stadium during the service, he had spotted a weeping Misty, a solemn-faced Brock and Richie, and an equally somber Gary in the audience. He put down the television remote and glanced at Delia. He had been afraid that the television might wake her even though he had the volume on low, but he needn't have worried. She hadn't even moved since he had put her to bed several hours ago. The sound of the door opening made him look up. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave now," the nurse informed the gray-haired man sitting at the dark-haired boy's bedside.

Samuel shook his head. "I'm not leaving."

"Are you a relative?" the nurse asked.

"I'm Ash's…stepfather," Professor Oak said as he bit his tongue.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know." The nurse looked over at the woman asleep in the other bed. "The previous nurse on duty mentioned that your wife passed out earlier. Is she still unconscious?" the nurse asked with some concern.

"My wife? Oh, Delia. No, she regained consciousness earlier, but she's absolutely exhausted. Let her sleep." 

"Do you want me to check on her, too?" the nurse asked kindly.

"That's all right. I'll check on her myself."

"Be sure to let me know if you need anything," the nurse said as she closed the door.

Samuel felt a little twinge of guilt for having lied to the nurse about being Ash's stepfather. But the story really wasn't that far off from the truth. He had known Ash all of his life and knew that the boy thought of him as a father figure, especially since the boy's real father had abandoned Delia when she told him that she was pregnant.

Pikachu awoke with a yawn. "Pika?" the Pokémon asked with some alarm as it looked around for Delia.

"It's all right, Pikachu. She's over there," Professor Oak told it as he nodded in the direction of the other hospital bed.

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's bed, dashed across the floor, and leapt onto Delia's bed.

"Pika-pi?" the Pokémon said worriedly as he sniffed Delia's face. He was worried that something had happened to her, too.

"It's all right, Pikachu," Professor Oak repeated as he picked up the Pokémon and placed him in his lap. "She's just sleeping, that's all." He started stroking the anxious Pokémon's head. "I know you're worried about both of them. So am I." Pikachu started to relax at his touch. Professor Oak continued to stroke the little yellow Pokémon until it fell back asleep. He stood up and carefully placed Pikachu back onto the foot of Ash's bed. Stretching, Professor Oak glanced at the monitors to see if there had been any improvement in Ash's condition since the last time he had checked. He thought he saw a slight improvement in Ash's blood pressure, but he'd have to ask the doctor about it. Bending down, he began to smooth the boy's untidy hair. Like his, it seemed to never stay in place.

"Who knows, Ash?" Professor Oak said quietly as he brushed aside the stray lock of hair on Ash's forehead. "Perhaps someday I will be your stepfather."

--- 

The clock on the wall read one-thirty-seven A.M. Samuel yawned and rubbed his eyes. He had dozed off for a few minutes while watching the readouts on Ash's monitors. Convinced that nothing had changed in the boy's condition during his brief nap, Samuel stood up, stretched, and then winced at the twinge of pain in his lower back – sleeping in a chair wasn't good for his lumbago. With a final pat on Pikachu's head and a gentle squeeze of Ash's shoulder, Samuel wandered over to where Delia lay. She still hadn't moved a muscle. Matter of fact, she was sleeping so soundly that he couldn't tell whether she was still breathing or not. He peered in her face for a few seconds, then he slipped a hand under the blanket and let it remain until he felt the faint rise and fall of her ribs. Carefully, he laid down in the bed beside her and pulled the blanket over both of them. 

"Oh, Delia," he whispered softly as he wrapped his arm protectively around her waist, "I won't let anything happen to you. Not while I'm alive." 

--- 

The nurse on duty smiled at the sight of the sleeping couple as she came into the room a half-hour later to check Ash's vital signs. Even though the gray-haired man was considerably older than his wife, it was obvious to her that he loved the boy's mother a great deal. After noting that there was a slight improvement in Ash's condition, the nurse turned out the light over the bed and let all three of them sleep.


	4. The Final Battle

Samuel awoke stiffly five hours later. With some embarrassment he noticed that his arm had migrated upward while he was asleep and his hand now rested atop Delia's heart. After feeling the slow, steady beat beneath his palm for a few seconds, he carefully removed his hand from between her breasts and rubbed his eyes. Being careful not to wake her, he rolled out of bed and tucked the blanket underneath her chin. At the same time, the door to the room opened and a gray-haired man a few years older than Samuel entered.

"Hello. I'm Dr. Claiborne," the visitor said, extending a hand.

"Samuel Oak," a half-asleep Professor Oak replied as he shook the doctor's hand.

"I understand that you're Ash's stepfather," the doctor continued.

"Yes, that's true," Samuel replied, trying to ignore the reappearance of the nagging feeling of guilt. 

The doctor studied Ash's chart for a moment. "The nurse on duty noted some improvement in your son's condition during the night."

"Yes, I thought I saw a slight improvement myself last evening."

"Well, let me take a look at Ash and see what's going on with him." The doctor spent several minutes examining Ash while Professor Oak watched hopefully. "Yes, I think there is some improvement," the doctor said optimistically as he stuffed his stethoscope back into his pocket and gave the dozing Pikachu a friendly pat. "Now if he'll just wake up, then I think he'll be out of the woods. How are you doing, by the way?" the doctor asked with a kind smile.

"A bit stiff. Hospital beds weren't exactly made for two people," Samuel said as he tried to stretch out his aching back.

"And how's your wife?" the doctor asked as he made some notes on Ash's chart. "The nurse mentioned that she had a fainting episode yesterday."

"Delia's still sleeping. She's been asleep for…" He glanced at his watch. "Over fifteen hours."

"That's probably the best thing for her," the doctor said as he made his way to the door. "That and something to eat when she wakes up. You should probably have something to eat, too. Why don't you head down to the cafeteria and have some breakfast?"

Samuel shook his head. "I promised Delia that I wouldn't leave Ash until she woke up." 

"Well, let me or the nurse on duty know if you or your wife need anything. Nice to meet you," the doctor said as he shook Professor Oak's hand again and headed down the hall to continue his morning rounds.

As Samuel tried to ignore the growling in his stomach, Pikachu awoke and eyed him curiously. "Pika?"

"She's still asleep, Pikachu," Samuel said as he sat down in the chair next to Ash's bed and tore open the package of peanuts that he had left for Delia the day before. As he started eating his makeshift breakfast, Pikachu watched his every move hungrily. "You hungry too, Pikachu?" Professor Oak reached into the pocket of his lab coat and found a small half-eaten bag of Pokémon food. "Kingler wasn't particularly fond of this flavor of Poké Chow," he said as he poured out a few nuggets and offered them to Pikachu, who ate them greedily. "Nice to see that someone likes it."

A stirring in the nearby bed attracted his attention. Leaving the rest of the bag of food for Pikachu (who proceeded to devour every nugget), Samuel leaned over Delia's bed and lightly touched her shoulder. 

"Delia?" he whispered softly.

Her eyes slowly opened. "Samuel?" she said groggily as the face hovering above her came into focus.

"How do you feel?" he asked as he reached for her hand.

"Wiped out," she murmured.

"I'm not surprised. You've had a rough couple of days."

Delia turned her head in the direction of the beeping monitors. "Ash?"

"He's still unconscious, but the doctor came by earlier and said that there's some improvement in his condition. Sounds like good news," he said with a smile. 

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked as she made an attempt to sit up. 

"Over fifteen hours." 

"Fifteen…" A wave of dizziness forced her to lie back down on her pillow.

"Do you feel like eating something?" he asked, noticing that she had gone quite pale. 

Delia nodded. "I'm starving."

"That's a good sign," he said as he made his way to the door. "I'll get you some juice to start with. And I promise I won't bring you back any more tapioca pudding," he said with a grin.

--- 

After drinking two containers of orange juice and successfully keeping down some dry toast, Delia felt well enough to get out of bed (with some assistance from Samuel).

"Careful. Don't want you to pass out again," he said as he helped her into the chair by her son's bedside. Pikachu, happy to see that Delia was all right, immediately jumped into her lap.

"Pikachu!"

"Hi, Pikachu," she said cheerfully as the little Pokémon gave her a hug. "Have you been keeping an eye on Ash for me while I was asleep?"

"Pika," the Pokémon nodded.

"Do you think you'll be all right now, Delia?" Samuel asked. "I'd like to go wish Gary luck before the final match today."

"The championship match is _today_?" Delia exclaimed.

"Yes. I thought I'd go see how my grandson is doing, then I'll come back here."

"Oh no, Samuel. Don't do that. You need to go watch Gary play in person. What time does the match start?"

"Ten."

Delia looked at her watch. "It's eight o'clock now. Why don't you go get something to eat, then go visit with your grandson? Afterwards, you can go watch the match with Brock and Misty."

"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself, Delia? I mean, I don't want to leave you if you're still not feeling well."

"I'm feeling much better now, Samuel. Thanks to you," she smiled. "Go watch Gary play, and let him know that we're all rooting for him."

"Thanks, Delia. I'll do that." After giving her hand a quick squeeze, he headed for the door and nearly collided with the nurse as he opened it.

"Oh, sorry," she said apologetically. "I didn't see…" She then noticed Delia sitting next to Ash's bedside. "Oh. I see your wife is awake. How's she doing?"

"Wife?" a puzzled Delia asked.

"Um, she's much better," Professor Oak said hastily with a nervous glance back at Delia. "Although you might want to check on her while I'm gone. I'll see you later, bye."

"Your husband was quite worried about you yesterday." the nurse informed Delia as Samuel made a beeline down the hallway. 

"He was?" said a still-confused Delia. 

"Yes," the nurse continued as she made some notes on the readouts of the various monitors. "He didn't even leave the room once while you were sleeping. The nurse on duty last night said that the two of you were curled up together in the same bed."

"Oh, really?" said a rather surprised Delia.

"Yes," said the nurse with a grin. "You're lucky to have a husband that's so devoted to you and your son."

Delia pondered what the nurse had just said for a moment and then a tiny smile crept across her face. "Yes, I guess I am."

---

__

Gary and Melissa are now down to their last Pokémon in this topsy-turvy championship match!

"Lightning, I choose you!" 

The crowd watched expectantly as a little yellow Pokémon appeared in a bright flash of light.

"Pika!" 

__

And Melissa has selected a Pikachu for her final battle!

In the stands, Brock and Misty went wild.

"Ha! I don't believe it!" Brock laughed. "Melissa chose a Pikachu!"

"And I know which Pokémon Gary's going to choose!" Misty smiled.

A confident smile crept across Gary's face. "Go, Umbreon!"

"Umbre!" cried the dark-type Pokémon as it leapt forward to do battle.

"Yes!!!" Misty cheered. "Umbreon knows all of Pikachu's moves!"

"It does?" Richie asked.

"Yep," grinned Brock. "Gary once told Ash that he didn't see the point in battling him because Umbreon learned all of Pikachu's moves."

__

And Gary has selected Umbreon for this final battle of the final round of this year's Indigo League Championship!

--- 

Back at the hospital, Delia and Pikachu eagerly watched Gary and Melissa's match on television.

__

And Melissa's Pikachu has taken a real beating at the hands of Gary's Umbreon, but it's not ready to quit just yet!

"Lightning, Thundershock!" Melissa commanded her weary Pokémon.

"Umbreon, duck out of the way!" 

As sparks started flying from the Pikachu's red cheeks, a dark wave suddenly appeared out of nowhere and sent the Pokémon reeling.

"Ha! Future Sight!" Brock cried excitedly.

"Lightning, get up! GET UP!" Melissa desperately urged her fallen Pokémon. The Pokémon struggled to its feet, then fell over and lay still.

The referee raised a red flag. "Pikachu is unable to battle. The match goes to the red trainer, Gary Oak!"

As the crowd went wild, Ash's Pikachu suddenly jumped then cocked its head. "Pika?" Pikachu looked down then jumped again. Something under the blankets had kicked him.

"We're now here live with this year's Indigo League Champion, Gary Oak," said the television reporter as she stuck a microphone into the boy's face. "How do you feel, Gary?"

"Great!" Gary smiled as Umbreon leapt up to lick his face. "Hey, Ash!" Gary said as he snatched the microphone away from the reporter. "If you're listening, you'd better get well because next year I'm gonna kick your butt!"

"Jerk," mumbled a faint voice from the direction of Ash's head.

Delia whirled around in surprise and saw that her son's eyes had opened. 

"I'm gonna kick _his_ butt next year," Ash murmured groggily as Pikachu eagerly scampered to the head of the bed and sniffed his trainer's face. "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" the Pokémon cried happily as he nuzzled his friend.


	5. Two Months Later

"Geez, whatta baby," Gary sneered as he and Ash were having a mock battle in the backyard of the Oak lab. "At this rate you're not even gonna make it past the first round in next year's championship."

"Cut it out, Gary," Ash retorted. "It's hard trying to throw a Poké ball with a stiff arm and sore ribs."

"Oh, poor baby," Gary taunted. "Hey, if I can win the Indigo League championship with eight stitches in my hand, then you should be able to do something simple like throw a Poké ball without complaining!"

"Shut up, Gary!" Ash shot back. "If I have to hear about you being the Indigo League Champion one more time…"

"You'll what, Ashy-boy?" Gary grinned as he tossed a Poké ball into the air and Nidoqueen appeared.

With an angry growl, Ash stiffly threw a Poké ball and out popped Chikorita. "Let's show this jerk what we're really made of, Chikorita! We'll show you how tough we are!"

"We'll see who's tough," Gary said. "Go, Nidoqueen!"

Inside the lab, Professor Oak was watching the battle with an amused grin. He was so absorbed in watching the two boys that he didn't hear the footsteps behind him. As a hand lightly touched his shoulder, he leapt straight into the air.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Delia said apologetically as she helped Samuel to his feet. "I just wanted to see how my husband was doing today."

"Do that again and you'll be a widow," Samuel gasped as he tried to calm his pounding heart.

Ever since Delia learned of the deception Samuel had gone to in order to remain with her and Ash in the hospital, Delia had been good-naturedly teasing him by referring to him as her "husband".

"What are the boys up to?" Delia asked as she glanced out the window.

"Gary's helping Ash train for next year's championship," Samuel replied as the two of them heard Ash call Gary a less-than-respectable word. 

"Watch your language, Ash!" Delia reprimanded her son as she tapped on the window. "Sometimes I wonder if those two will ever get along."

"They did once," Samuel said as the two watched Gary's Nidoqueen send Chikorita flying across the lawn. "Perhaps they will again someday. Even though Gary is out there goading Ash, he's doing it to help your son get back into the swing of Pokémon training. He really does want to help Ash get better, even though he'll never admit it."

"You know, despite the fact that those two are so competitive that they drive each other crazy, I think Gary and Ash respect each other," Delia smiled. "I think they even like each other, although they'll never admit it."

"Give up, Ash?" Gary smirked as Ash recalled his beaten Chikorita. As Ash gave his rival a dirty look, Gary put away the rest of his Poké balls. "You're no competition at all. I don't know why I even bothered with you. I'm gonna go find me a _real _trainer to battle with." As Gary turned to go back into the house, Ash jumped him from behind and the two boys started wrestling.

"You were saying, Delia?" Professor Oak said as Ash and Gary tumbled down the hill.

"Never mind." Delia said as she shook her head. "I swear sometimes those two act just like brothers."

"Who knows?" Samuel said with a grin. "Perhaps one day they really will be related."

Delia whirled around in surprise. "Samuel…?"

Professor Oak put down the scientific journal he had been holding and took Delia in his arms. "Well, I _am _your husband after all," he teased as he kissed her softly on the lips. "But someday I'd like to be your husband for real."

"I'd like that too," Delia whispered as she kissed him back. "You know, when Ash was in the hospital and the nurse said that you stayed by my side while I slept, she said that I was lucky to have a husband that was so devoted to me and my son."

"And do you think so?" Samuel asked as he gently caressed her cheek.

"I know so," Delia smiled, nodding. "Even if you did force me to eat tapioca pudding."

"Oh, don't remind me of that," Samuel groaned as he pulled away from her embrace. "I still feel guilty about making you sick."

"Don't feel that way," Delia reassured him as she laid a hand on his shoulder. "The reason you did it was because you were worried about me and were trying to take care of me. You were just trying to help me."

"By making you throw up? I wouldn't consider that helping." 

"Samuel, I know that I can be every bit as stubborn as Ash. Matter of fact, I think that's where he got it from," Delia grinned. "But that's why I need someone like you. Someone to let me know when I'm being a…what did you say, a 'damn stubborn redhead'?"

"And you can be one, you know," Samuel teased as he took her in his arms yet again. "But I think your son is more stubborn than you."

"Shut up, you stupid jerk!" Ash's voice came from outside the window.

"Make me!" replied Gary in an equally angry tone.

Delia sighed. "Are you sure you can handle having two hotheaded Ketchums around?"

"I'll take my chances," Samuel smiled as he kissed her again, then looked out the window to see Ash attempting to put Gary in a headlock. "Come on. Let's go break up the boys before they kill each other. If they keep this up, then neither one of them will be alive by next year's Indigo League Championship." 

THE END


End file.
